1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a discharge conveyor system for an elongated truck or trailer body and more particularly to a discharge conveyor system wherein the discharge conveyor is comprised of a plurality of relatively long overlapping conveyor belt sections secured to a pair of chain members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of discharge conveyors have been employed for truck or trailer bodies. One type of discharge conveyor used on bulk trucks or trailers is an elongated screw conveyor which is mounted at the lower end of the body and which extends from the forward end of the body to the rearward end of the body so that the material is discharged from the rearward end of the body. Another type of discharge conveyor used on bulk feed trucks or trailers is an endless belt conveyor which is mounted at the lower end of the body and which extends from the forward end of the body to the rearward end of the body so that the material is discharged from the rearward end of the body. A third type of discharge conveyor used in bulk trucks or trailers is one wherein a conveyor belt is comprised of a plurality of short conveyor belt sections which are secured to a pair of chain members in such a manner so that as the conveyor conveys the material rearwardly in the body, the individual conveyor belt sections overlap one another.
All of the conveyor systems described above have advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage of the screw conveyor is that it is expensive and is somewhat difficult to clean. The conveyor system which incorporates a single endless conveyor belt is difficult to clean due to the fact that the bulk product tends to get beneath the belt or between the discharge and return sections of the belt. A disadvantage of the conveyor wherein the conveyor is comprised of a plurality of conveyor belt sections secured to a pair of chains is that they are somewhat expensive to manufacture and difficult to fabricate since a large number of the conveyor belt sections must be bolted or otherwise secured to the supports which extend between the conveyor chains.